autiful. And at last they came to Skene. Arthur led them again to the
opening in the palisade, and he took Susie's hand. Presently they stood
in the place from which a few days before they had seen the house. As
then, it stood in massive blackness against the night and, as then, the
attic windows shone out with brilliant lights. Susie started, for she
had expected that the whole place would be in darkness.

'There is no danger, I promise you,' said Arthur gently. 'We are going to
find out the meaning of all this mystery.'

He began to walk towards the house.

'Have you a weapon of some sort?' asked the doctor.

Arthur handed him a revolver.

'Take this. It will reassure you, but you will have no need of it. I
bought it the other day when--I had other plans.'

Susie gave a little shudder. They reached the drive and walked to the
great portico which adorned the facade of the house. Arthur tried the
handle, but it would not open.

'Will you wait here?' he said. 'I can get through one of the windows, and
I will let you in.'

He left them. They stood quietly there, with anxious hearts; they could
not guess what they would see. They were afraid that something would
happen to Arthur, and Susie regretted that she had not insisted on going
with him. Suddenly she remembered that awful moment when the light of the
lamp had been thrown where all expected to see a body, and there was
nothing.

'What do you think it meant?' she cried suddenly. 'What is the
explanation?'

'Perhaps we shall see now,' answered the doctor.

Arthur still lingered, and she could not imagine what had become of him.
All sorts of horrible fancies passed through her mind, and she dreaded
she knew not what. At last they heard a footstep inside the house, and
the door was opened.

'I was convinced that nobody slept here, but I was obliged to make sure.
I had some difficulty in getting in.'

Susie hesitated to enter. She did not know what horrors awaited her, and
the darkness was terrifying.

'I cannot see,' she said.

'I've brought a torch,' said Arthur.

He pressed a button, and a narrow ray of bright light was cast upon the
floor. Dr Porhoet and Susie went in. Arthur carefully closed the door,
and flashed the light of his torch all round them. They stood in a large
hall, the floor of which was scattered with the skins of lions that Haddo
on his celebrated expedition had killed in Africa. There were perhaps
a dozen, and their number gave a